It is estimated that 200,000 Dominica’s of Haitian descent have become stateless. If a Haitian was born in the Dominican Republic from 1929 and onward, to undocumented parents, he or she is at risk of being deported or becoming stateless.

Dominican Republic is enforcing strict immigration policies. As a result, 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent have had their citizenship revoked. Note that many do not have any connection with Haiti or even speak the official languages of Haiti (Creole or French).

In 2013, Dominicans of Haitian descent were stripped of their citizenship. They were separated into two groups: Class A) people with a Dominican birth certificate and class B) people without a Dominican birth certificate. The Junta Central Electoral has committed to re-affirming citizenship to people in class A (50,000), but not the people in class B (150,000).

Thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent have been deemed stateless, due to their parent’s “illegal” status. Having no citizenship means that children cannot go to school nor access essential services.

Many Dominicans of Haitian descent will not be able to vote on May 15th, as their citizenship was revoked in 2013. After 2 years, only 3% of the people that lost their citizenship have been able to regain it.

The article depicts the historical tension between the Dominican Republic and Haiti and its colonial history. Also, the Dominican Republic has revoked the citizenship of 200,000 thousand Dominican’s of Haitian descent, as they arrived through illegal avenues. Another 17,000 people have been deported.

Over the centuries, Haitians have “illegally” transcended the border to the Dominican Republic, in order to work. In 2013, a decision rendered by the Dominican Republic meant that any person that was born between 1927-2007 to “illegal” descendants lost their citizenship.

Dominicans of Haitian descent fear deportation and violence being perpetrated by neighbors; thus they have started to migrate to Haiti. However, many were raised in Dominican and do not speak Kreyol (Haiti’s official language) or have social networks. As a result, many people have ended up in large camps where it is difficult to secure food, diseases are ramping, and there is a lack of access to healthcare.